The Weizenbaum Institute is a research institute for interdisciplinary digitalization research.[1] It is a joint project of research institutions from Berlin and Brandenburg, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The partners are Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin University of the Arts, University of Potsdam, Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems and WZB Berlin Social Science Center.[2][3]
The Weizenbaum Institute was awarded the tender by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to host the German Internet Institute, hence it is also known by this name.[4] Founded in 2017, the institute is located in Berlin.[5] The institute is named after Joseph Weizenbaum.
Research programme
editThe aim of the Weizenbaum Institute is to fill the need for research into the social impact of digitisation, in addition to the technical and legal issues it raises.[6][7] Based on the research findings, options for action are developed for government, business and civil society.[6]
During the five-year start-up phase of the institute (09/2017-09/2022), 21 research groups were assigned to four research areas.[8]
In the current research period, the focus is on the following 4 areas:[9]
- Digital technologies in society: between opportunities for participation and new inequalities
- Digital markets and public spheres on platforms: between the common good and economic imperatives
- Organization of knowledge: between openness and exclusivity
- Digital infrastructures in democracy: between security and freedom
Journal
editThe Weizenbaum Institute publishes the Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society (WJDS). The open access journal is dedicated to interdisciplinary digitization research.
People
editThe founding directors are Prof. Dr. Martin Emmer, Prof. Dr. Axel Metzger, LL.M. (Harvard) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ina Schieferdecker.[10]
Funding
editWhen the institute was established in 2017, it received a total of 50 million euro in funding from the federal government for its first funding phase of five years.[6][11] In 2022, the Weizenbaum Institute is the recipient of 36 million euros in federal funding for the period until 2025.[12]
References
edit- ^ "The Institute". Weizenbaum Institute. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "German Internet Institute: Berlin-Brandenburg consortium wins bid". Freie Universität Berlin. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society". Network of Centers. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "German Internet Institute: Berlin-Brandenburg consortium wins bid". Freie Universität Berlin. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society in Berlin". Brain City Berlin. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Abbany, Zulfikar (22 May 2017). "A German Internet Institute: What will it be?". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "German Internet Institute is coming to Berlin". Berlin University Alliance. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "The Research of the Setup Phase". Weizenbaum Institut. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Research for the networked Society". Weizenbaum Institut. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ "German Internet Institute: Berlin-Brandenburg consortium wins bid". WZB. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "Erfolgreiche Evaluation Weizenbaum-Institut". Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - BMBF Digitale Zukunft (in German). 20 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "Digitalforschung in Berlin: Weizenbaum-Institut erhält weitere 36 Millionen Euro". Der Tagesspiegel Online. Retrieved 7 April 2023 – via Tagesspiegel.
